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I have recently been introduced to the idea of playing 2NT as either 16+ or 10-12 with 4 card support, with 13-15 4 card support through 3NT. If you play mini-splinters (I do) then 2NT denies a shortage. 3-card support can go through forcing nt.

I agree with an earlier post about the bbo masterpoint symbols. To me these are intrusive and also of no interest (since they give no indication of how good a player is just how many points they have collected). What I would like to see alongside each player's name is an indication of their skill level. Then I can choose to join a table where all the players are at a level I would like to play with, or quickly find potential partners in tourneys of the right skill level. You could for example use initials, P=private, B=beginner etc (they are all different!), or colour codes. Thank you for the site. It really is excellent.

We play a standard 1♦ (0-7) response but then 1♥ by opener is kokish forcing 1♠ Playing an opening 1NT as 14-16 then you have 1♣ 1♦ 1NT =17-18 1♣ 1♦ 1♥ 1♠ 1NT = 19-20 1♣ 1♦ 2NT =21-22 1♣ 1♦ 1♥ 1♠ 2NT = 23-24 etc You get to play you favourite reponses over NT for all balanced hands in the range 14-20

I would think if S bids 3NT this is showing a hand which is confident of taking 9 tricks after hearing partner's support of H but less confident of taking 10 - maybe Ax,xxx,AKxxxx,AK I would pass as N trusting S to have this hand.

What I was meaning was to consider what to do if they X a mini NT (i.e. a 10-12 range NT) for penalties. The two most popular methods seem to be 1) - XX any one-suiter, opener bids 2♣ and you pass or correct - 2♣,♦,♥ show that suit and one higher, typically 4-4, can be 4333 if you are stuck 2) - XX any one-suiter, opener bids 2♣ and you pass or correct - 2♣,♦,♥ show that suit and the suit above 4-4 - pass forces a XX and now you pass to play or 2♣ = ♣ & ♥, 2♦ = ♦ & ♠ - i/e/ the non-touchign 2-suiters option 2 means you can't play in 1NTX, only 1NTXX :) - puts them on the spot...

The other thing I would spend some time on is what to do when opps X (which they will tend to do quite often in my experience )

When I played strong 10's our agreements were - 10 shows 2 higher or 1 higher and the 9 - J denies a higher honour - 9 shows the 10, or is doubleton (or singleton ;) ) A lot of the advantages seemed to spring from the J and 9 leads

teammates are rarely amused by a XX'ed vul slam in the out column :)

No, I pass and hope to show the shape later by a X or a 2-suited overcall.

Most people I know either play weak NT with 4 card majors or strong NT with 5 card majors.. so you may well be comparing two different systems rather than just two different NT ranges. I have played both these systems for many years - is there anything specific you are interested in?

I can see the logic of 3NT since there are many hands where p will pass 3♦ but 3NT will come in facing a suitable 5 or 6 count

yes, and p can bid 2NT with 4-4 in the minors to find your fit

I actually find that something rigid like symmetric relay is much easy to play in an infrequent partnership than standard methods that inevitably require many often subtle implicit partnership understandings. That is intersteing - could you direct me to link where I can find a well-doumented version? Thx

This was our first thought :rolleyes: but then we decided if you could find bids for hands with a 4 card major and a poor 5 card club suit why not use them when the club suit is good as well? Then when you open 2C you always have 6 so you are better placed to judge the competitive auction

Thank you all for your comments. We don't play enough to go to something like TOSR, but like to mess about with the sytem from time to time :D It is interesting how our system seems to have developed towards what others play - for example we changed 2C to guarantee 6 after some bad boards in 2CX and changed 2D opener to be (34)15 as well as 4414 and 4405

For a while I have played simple transfer responses to 1C (16+) so 1H=S, 1S=bal, 1NT=C etc , opener completes the transfer to initiate an asking bid sequence. We are now considering playing 2-under transfers, so 1H=bal, 1S=C, 1NT=D, 2C=H, 2D=S Now opener can complete the transfer with an unblanced hand and initiate asking bids, or bid one suit up to show a balanced hand (with 3+ card support) allowing responder to start on asking bids if he wants. Has anyone played anything like this? The main drawback is you lose a bit of space but allowing either side to take control of the auction fi they want to seems to have a big advantage. Any other comemnts?

I think it is natural to bid 3H first - possible games are 3nt, 4H and 5D and the splinter commits you to 5D which seems premature - often 11 tricks will be much harder than 9. West has 17 so is 3nt automatic next? I don't know, but it seems hard to argue with. Now will East really bid 4D or 5D? I can't really see why - it's only an 11 count and we may be in our best sport in 3NT esp if p has good but slow spades say KJxx Always embarrasing to play in 3nt with 7 cold but I can see why it'd happen and I can't say really either side is to blame if you ended up there. Seeing both hands sure 4S is clear but give W something like KJxx/x/AQxxxx/Kx and 5D probably won't make while 3NT will

this seems good to me - I don't play 1S as forcing, and 3H asking for more info (why do I want to bid 2NT with xxx in H?) seems best and when W bids 4D the shape is becoming clear

I usually play support X to 2H only and X here for t/o and that is what I woudl bid - over that North can't bid 3S - that is too weak so 4S or 4D depending on style - I think 4D probably shows a stronger hand so 4S - if it's a 4-3 fit partner will have compensatign values and my C look good

pass - the clubs are weak - can't see us making game - maybe 3C with KC instead KD - we prob only have 8-card fit so I don't see any preemptive value of 3C

No, I wasn't advocating raising to the 3 level - I was saying to bid 2C was very risky. I would bid 3D as the least bad/risky bid.

No one has mentioned whether they tend to raise partner's 1S on a 3-card suit when you have a shortage outside - say you are 3154. That is my style and is common in the UK and Europe I think. Playign those methods to bid 2C here shows a weak distirbutional hand with less than 3 spades - so partner is quite likely to pass with 5 spades and 3 or 4 clubs and 8-10 points when 4S is cold. I don't think 3D here shows esp good D just a good hand with 6D, and it certainly doesn't deny 3 spades so I expect partner to rebid a 5-card suit. 2H might work well... but probably not if p is 54 in the majors :(

i thought you implied 2C showed 3 card spade support as you said "why not try to get across the fact you have three spades, and nine cards in the minors" ?

I don't understand this - 1D-1S;2C could be 0355 shape

I play 1C-1D;1H as forcing p to bid 1S and showing either 5+H or strong balanced 19-20, 23-24 - kokish style with balanced hands opener rebids 1NT=19-20, 2NT 23-24 (opener would have rebid 1NT not 1H with balanced 17-18, and 2NT with 21-22) (we open 1nt 14-16 so we get to play all our gadgets after 1nt for all balanced hands in the range 14-20) if opener is unbalanced we rebid 2C after 1C-1D;1H-1S to show 3 or 4 spades, and 2D to show less than 3 spades